Mysterious disappearance of
Hill of Tara monument
- will cause "world of trouble"
By - Jamie Deasy.
GARDAÍ in Co. Meath are investigating the
mysterious disappearance of a commemorative monument
situated on the Hill of Tara, dedicated to those killed
in a battle with the British army during the ill-fated
1798 rebellion. The memorial stone was built into a wall
on the roadside on the border between the townlands of
Odder and Castleboy on the Hill of Tara.
The inscription on the granite memorial stone read:
"1798-1998 In memory of the Croppies who gave their lives
for Ireland, 26th. May 1798 Erin Go Bragh".
The five-feet by three-feet granite monument, erected in
1998 by a group called Comoradh Rioch na Mhi, also
depicted a pike, which was the weapon most commonly used
by the ill-equipped patriots.
Speaking to the Sunday Tribune, Patrick Pryle, one of the
founding members of Comoradh Rioch na Mhi and a resident
of Skyrne, said whoever removed the memorial had wiped
out all traces of its existence.
"Someone has pulled out the bank where the memorial was
located, it has been re-landscaped and grass seed has
been sown on it", he said.
"There is going to be a world of trouble about this. I
have got calls from pike groups in Wexford who are going
to organise buses to come up here and protest. These
people consider Tara to be sacred. They set up groups to
commemorate the rebellion in Wexford".
He added that he has written to the Office of Public
Works, the Meath county manager and the chief
superintendent of the gardaí in Navan asking them
to investigate the matter.
"The attack on this monument is a direct attack on the
state, its laws, its institutions and our own very
freedom. The men, women and children who lie in those
unmarked graves have earned our respect and they should
be allowed to lie in peace", he continued.
"It is sacred land and it is under the protection of the
state and it is up to the state to protect its own
property and the memory of these people who died for
Ireland".
The Hill of Tara played a central role in the failed
rebellion organized by the United Irishmen.
On 26th. May 1798, in one of the most significant
incidents of the revolt, some 5,000 natives of counties
Meath, Dublin, Wicklow, Kildare and Westmeath assembled
on the Hill of Tara to support the insurrection.
However, like in most other parts of the country, the
crown forces defeated the rebels and it is estimated up
to 400 of them were killed on the Hill of Tara where they
still lay buried to this day in unmarked graves.
The 1798 rebellion was probably the bloodiest outbreak of
violence in Irish history and resulted in an estimated
15,000 - 30,000 deaths over a three-month period.
A spokesperson for the Office of Public Works said they
were investigating the matter and were attempting to
establish whether the memorial was located on public
land.
Sergeant Tom Flynn at Navan garda station also confirmed
the gardai are investigating the case.
He urged anyone with information to contact Navan
gardaí at 046 9079930.
© The Sunday Tribune, 27th. April 2008.
